Pinky Promise?

Chapter 2- June 2017

   

Katelynn woke to someone violently shaking her shoulder. "Stop...five more minutes..." she mumbled as she turned over in her sleeping bag. "Kati, wake up!! Stella's mom says we can go to McDonald's for breakfast!" Charlotte loomed over her, smiling. "All right, I'm up. Where's Stella?" Katelynn sat up and looked around the tent. "Oh, she went inside to put her laptop away." She stood up. "Well then we should probably go inside too." Charlotte and Katelynn walked out of the tent and headed inside.

"So guys, we are gonna go to Q'emiln Park today to swim," Stella said as they walked back into her house. They had just gotten back from walking to McDonald's and back, so they were very energized. "Where's Q'emiln Park?" Charlotte asked as she grabbed her swimsuit out of her bag. "I'm sure you've been there before; it's in Post Falls," Stella said as she rummaged through her closet looking for a swimsuit. Katelynn grabbed her striped black and white swimsuit and headed to the bathroom to change. When she got back, Stella was stepping out of the closet in a pink bathing suit with yellow pineapples on it, and Charlotte was standing in a colorful swimsuit, looking miserable. "What's up, Char?" Katelynn asked. "Ugh. My mom is MAKING me wear these DUMB swim shorts over my swimsuit. She says if she finds out I didn't wear them, she'll ground me...again." Charlotte sighed. The swim shorts really didn't go with her colorful one-piece, but oh well. Her mom was really protective and strict, so it makes sense that she would make her wear those swim shorts.

Soon, it was time to go to Q'emiln Park. They all hopped in the back of Stella's mom's new blue truck. "OMG is Bradley coming?" Charlotte squealed as she saw Stella's 8th-grade brother walking out the front door. "Why wouldn't he be?" Stella asked, turning to Charlotte. "I was just... wondering." Charlotte said with a sigh. Katelynn knew why she was asking, and so did Stella. Last night, Charlotte confessed to them that she had developed a crush on Bradley. Katelynn didn't understand because:

1.) They had just met

2.) She was going into her sophomore year (10th grade)

3.) HE WAS IN 8th GRADE

It was really strange, but oh well. Katelynn had to accept that Charlotte was extremely boy crazy.

Bradley got in the car, and Charlotte gasped. "What's wrong, Char?" Katelynn asked. "I...I forgot my Bible!" She flung open the truck's door and scrambled up the front steps and into the house. Moments later, Stella's mom hopped in the driver's seat. "Where's Charlotte?" She asked, turning to Stella and Katelynn. "Oh, she went to go grab her Bible. She'll be out in a sec." Stella said. "Why does she need her Bible?" Stella's mom asked, looking confused. "Oh, she likes to read it in the car," Katelynn said quickly, noticing Charlotte's tall figure loping towards the truck. "Oh... okay." Stella's mom turned and faced the front. "Sorry. I forgot my Bible..." Charlotte said as she buckled up.

They finally reached Q'emiln Park. Katelynn was so excited to go swimming. Stella's mom and Bradley pumped up a few emoji floaties while Charlotte, Stella, and Katelynn put on sunscreen. The moment Stella's giant poop emoji floatie was all blown up, she went in the water. "Stella, you have to wait for your sunscreen to dry!" Charlotte yelled after her. "It's fine, I don't really get burnt." Stella turned and ran to the water.

Later, after they were all in the water, they played rock the boat on the circular kiss-blowing emoji floatie. It was really fun... for a while.

Stella and Katelynn got into a lot of fights in the past. They brought out the best...and the worst in each other. They were like sisters, and their arguments could be

a.) Really, really short

or

b.) Really, really long

The point was, they got into a lot of fights, and this day was no exception.

Katelynn didn't really know what happened, but one moment they were playing rock the boat laughing, and having a good time. The next moment, Stella was ignoring her. Katelynn didn't know why, but it hurt. She didn't like being in fights, but here they were yet again.

"Are you okay?" Katelynn swam up to Stella. "It's nothing." Stella went under the water and swam away. "Is Stella mad at you or something?" Bradley asked when Katelynn swam back over to him and Charlotte. "I guess so..." Katelynn sighed. "She'll come around, I promise. But for now, let's have some fun. She might just need some space." Charlotte said, touching Katelynn's shoulder reassuringly. They hopped back onto the emoji floatie, and the rock the boat war was back on.

Stella swam over, "Can I play too?" She asked with a smile. Katelynn knew she was  over it, whatever it was. They played rock the boat for the next forty-five minutes and raced to the swim barrier on their floaties. "It's time to go!" Stella's mom yelled. They practically dragged their bodies out of the water. They were having so much fun and didn't want to leave.

"Kati, can you stay another night?" Stella asked. "You know I can't, my mom said one night only. I'm grounded after all." "Ugh," Stella rolled her eyes "Why are you grounded again?" Katelynn sighed sadly. "Grades. But hey! Maybe Charlotte can stay the night again!" Stella smiled half-heartedly. "I guess, I could ask my mom," Stella turned "Hey Char! Come over here, Quick!" Charlotte slunk away from Bradley. "Coming!" She ran over to them, her wet curls plastering themselves to her face. "Hey, Stella, I thought, maybe I could stay the night again... if I asked my mom." Katelynn saw Charlotte sneak a quick glance at Bradley, who was letting the air out of the floaties. "Yeah, I was going to ask my mom actually, and I was thinking maybe we can go to Splashdown tomorrow!" Stella said. "Go ask!!" Charlotte squealed. Stella nodded and ran over to her mom.

"My mom says maybe," Stella said as they walked over to the truck. "Can I go get dressed real quick? It will only take a second." Charlotte asked as they passed the bathrooms. "Sure. I'll let my mom know." With that, Charlotte walked off to the bathrooms. Stella's mom, Bradley, Stella, and Katelynn waited in the car for Courtney. "Kati," Stella's mom said, facing Katelynn. "You can stay another night if you want, but she... well, she can't. Charlotte is just so loud, and after last night, I don't think Colby will want her staying again." Katelynn frowned. This came off as kind of rude to her, but she tried to let it slide. "I can't stay. I'm grounded because I had awful grades at the end of the year." It was Stella's mom's turn to frown. "Mama. I know she's loud, like really loud, but Kati can't stay, so please talk to Colby." Stella begged. "Okay I will, but I can't promise anything." Stella's mom turned around right as Charlotte hopped in.

They got back to Stella's, and Charlotte called her mom. "She said yes!" Charlotte exclaimed as she handed the phone back to Stella. Charlotte left the room, giddy with excitement. "Kati..." Stella whispered,"I don't really want her to stay another night. She's my friend and all, but my mom was pretty mad about last night." "We were outside how could they have heard us?" "I honestly don't know. But apparently they did. I don't want my Mama to be mad." Katelynn rolled her eyes. "Give her a chance, okay? She hasn't been here as much as I have, so she doesn't know the rules all that well yet." Stella sighed. "Okay..."

Katelynn heard a car honking. "That's my parents, gotta go. Bye, you guys!" She hugged both Charlotte and Stella and walked out the door. She hoped they had fun, and that Stella's mom would start to accept Charlotte.